USPTO Patents Application 09933811

JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC 202 393 5350

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11/29 'OA 10:48 NO. 087 06/18

Attorney Docket No. P67074US0
Application: No. 09/93l,8U

Amendments to the claims:

This listing of claims replaces all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application.
Listing of claims:
Claims 1-36 (cancelled)

37. (New) A device for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) comprising:

a support material receiving unit (30) having at least one inlet and at least one outlet,
packed with

porous support material (60) having an outer surface (5 1 0) and a pore surface (5 40),
wherein the outer surface has regions of different derivatization and/or functionality
from that of the pore surface.

38. (New) The device according to claim 37, characterized in that said support material
receiving unit is a capillary column.

39. (New) The device according to claim 38, characterized in that saici support material
receiving unit is designed as a part of a channel system on a chip.

40. (New) The device according to claim 37, characterized in that at least two vessels (90) for
receiving the mobile phase (120) and at least one voltage source (10) are provided.

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Attorney Docket No. PS7074US0
Application No. 09/93 1,8 1 1

41 . (New) The device according to claim 37, characterized in that a pressure generating means
is provided for applying pressure to the support material receiving unit.

42. (New) The device according to claim 37, characterized in that a system is provided for the
automatic changing of the vessels for receiving the mobile phase.

43. (New) the device according to claim 37, characterized in that said support material receiving
unit is coupled to at least one detector (150).

44. (New) The device according to claim 43, characterized in that said detector is designed as
a mass spectrometer and/or optical detector, especially light-scattering detector, UV detector,
and/or electrochemical detector, and/or fluorescence detector, and/or conductivity detector,
and/or refractive index detector, especially laser-bound refractive index detector coupled
with absorption detection, and/or laser-based refractive index detector using backscatter,
and/or chemiluminescence nitrogen-specific detector, and/pr thermo-optical detector,
especially thermo-optical absorption detector, and/or laser-induced capillary vibration
detector.

[5. (New) The device according to claim 43, characterized in that said detector is a condensation
nucleation light scattering detector.

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Attorney Docket No, P67074US0
Application No. 09/931,81 1

46. (New) The device according to claim 39, characterized in that said capillary column and chip
consist of plastics and/or glass and/or fused silica and/or ceramics and/or elastomer and/or
polymers.

47. (New) The device according to claim 3 7, characterized in that at least two support material
receiving units are provided which are interconnected through, a capillary system and/or
channel system.

48. (New) The device according to claim 47, characterized in that said channel system and/or
.. capillary system has at least one outlet.

49. (New) The device according to claim 37, characterized in that the outlet of the support
material receiving unit has an inner and/or outer diameter which is different from that of the
inlet.

50. (New) The device according to claim 43, characterized in that said outlet is designed as an
electrospray device.

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JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC 202 393 5350

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Attorney Docket No. P67074LTSO
Application No. 09/931,811

5 1 . (New) The device according to claim 43, characterized in that a multitude, especially from
2 to 50, more preferably from 2 to 16, support material, receiving units are provided in a
parallel and/or two-dim ensional arrangement.

52. (New) The device according to claim 43, characterized in that said at least one support
material receiving unit contains a mixture of different kinds of support m aterials, each kind
of support material having a porous design and a surface which consists of an outer and a
pore surface, wherein the outer surface has regions of different derivatization and/or
functionality from that of the pore surface.

53. (New) In a method of capiUary-electrochromatograpmc processing comprising applying a
sample to a support material, the improvement wherein the support material is a porous
support material, having an outer surface (5 1 0) and a pore surface (540), characterized in that
the outer surface has regions of different derivatizations and/or functionality from that of the
pore surface.

54. (New) The method according to claim 53, characterized in that said regions of different
derivatization and/or functionality are distributed on said outer and/or pore surfaces
homogeneously and/or heterogeneously.

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Attorney Docket No. P67074US0
Application No. 09/93 1,811

55 . (New) The method according to claim 53, characterized in that said pore and/or outer surface
is derivatized and/or runctionalized with hydrophobic and/or hydrophillic groups and/or ion-
exchange groups and/or affinity ligands and/or chiral groups.

56. (N ew) The method according to claim 53, characterized in that said pore and/or outer surface
comprises regions derivatized and/or functionalized with alkyi residues having a length of •
C, to C 50 , preferably C, to C^, more preferably C<, Q and C Jg .

57. (New) The method accordingto claim 53, characterized in that'said pore and/or outer surface
.comprises regions derivattzed and/or functionalized with diols.

58. (New) The method according to claim 53, characterized m that said support roateriaJ. has a
substantially spherical design having an outer diameter, D, of 0.05 < D < 20 (am, preferably
0, 1 < D < 5 p-m, more preferably 0.5 < D < 3 \xm:

59. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by having
a pore diameter, d, of 0.5 < d 100 nm, preferably 1 < d < 50 nm, more preferably 2 < d < 6

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Attorney Docket No. P67074US0
Application No. 09/93 1,811

60. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by
consisting of an organic polymer or copolymer containing hydroxy groups.

61. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by
consisting of a silicate-containing material modified with polyethylene glycol or
polyoxyethylene on its outer surface, and in that the pore surface is modified with
hydrophobic groups, especially phenyl groups, C 18 , Q and/or nitrile.

62. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by
consisting of a hydioxy-containing material modified with glycine on its outer surface and
modified with polypeptides, especially tripeptides, on. the pore surface.

63. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by
consisting of a silica gel modified with glycerolpropyl.

64. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by
consisting of glass modified with glycerolpropyl.

65. (New) The method according to claim 53, the support material being characterized by-
comprising the following steps:

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Attorney Docket No. P67074US0
Application No. 09/931,81 1

applying a sample consisting of an anaJytc and sample matrix to a capillary
electrocbromatography (CEC) device comprising:

a support material receiving unit (30) having at least one inlet and at least

one outlet, packed with

porous support material (60) having an outer surface (5 1 0) and a pore surface
(540), wherein the outer surface has regions of different derivatization and/or
functionality from that of the pore surface;

applying a voltage to produce an electro-osmotic flow;
. applying a wash buffer;

eluting the sample matrix;

applying a transfer buffer,

eluting the analyte.

66. (New) The method according to claim 65, characterized in that the following steps are ■
performed after the elution of the sample matrix;
applying an elution buffer;
separation and eluting the analyte.

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Attorney Docket No. P67074USO
Application No. 09/93 1,811

67. (New) The method according to claim 66, characterized in that, after the anaiyte, has been
separated, its components and/or the concentration of its components are determined by a
detector.

68. (New) The method according to claim 67, characterized in that said detector is a mass
spectrometer and/or optical detector, especially light-scattering detector, condensation
nucleation light scattering detector, and/or electrochemical detector, and/or conductivity
detector, and/or refractive index detector, especially laser-based refractive index detector
coupled with absorption detection, and/or laser-based refractive index detector using
backscatter, and/or cheniiluminescence nitrogen-specific detector, and/or thermo-optical
detector, especially thermo-oprjcai absorption detector, and/or laser-induced capillary
vibratidn detector.

69. (New) The method according to claim 65, characterized in that the application of the sample
to the CEC device is performed hydrodynamicaliy and/or electro-osmptically and/or
electropboretically.

70. (New) The meth od according to claim 66, characterized in that components of th e anaiyte
are collected in a fractionated maaaer after the separation.

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Attorney Docket No. P67074US0
Application No. 09/931,81 1

71 . (New) The method according to claim 65, characterized in that the analyte, after elution, is
transferred to a separating device, especially high pressure liquid chromatography device,
capillary electrophoresis device or liquid chromatography device.

72. (New) The method according to claim 7 1 > characterized in that the analyte is atomized by an
electro spray device when exiting the support materials receiving unit after the separation into
its components.

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